Creamy Chicken Chili - Crockpot

Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 4oz can mild green chilies
1 can chili beans (do not drain or rinse)
1 can kidney beans (drain and rinse)
1 can black beans (drain and rinse)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 8 oz package light cream cheese

Directions
Spray crockpot with non-stick
Turn setting to low
Add all of the ingredients, except the cream cheese.
Cook for 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken and dice.
Add cream cheese, turn setting to high.
Cook for 15 minutes, ensure cream cheese is melted
Add back the chicken, cook another 10 minutes.

Makes 8-10 cups.

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 jar pasta sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil, dried
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 package frozen cheese ravioli
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven 350*
Spray 9x13 glass cookware with nonstick
Cook ground beef over medium heat in pan
Add garlic, basil, oregano, onion powder, and pasta sauce to ground beef.
Spread half the meat sauce on bottom of 9x13 cookware.
Layer frozen ravioli on top of meat sauce.
Top ravioli with remaining meat sauce.
Cover meat sauce with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Broil on high about 5 minutes, cheese will bubble and begin to brown.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Zuppa Toscana - Olive Garden copy cat (Crockpot)

Ingredients;

1 lb Jimmy Dean's sausage

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag Simply potatoes - potatoes and onions

32 oz. chicken stock

1 bunch of kale (washed, de-stemmed and torn into small pieces)

2 cups heavy cream

3 Tbsp tapioca starch (GF) or 3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Over medium heat in frying pan cook sausage until cooked through and browned. Add garlic cook 5 minutes.

In crockpot on low, add cooked sausage and garlic.  Then add potato and onions.  Pour chicken stock into crockpot - covering the potatoes. 

Cook on low 5 hours (or until potatoes are cooked through).

In a small bowl stir starch/flour in the cream until blended with no lumps.

Add the mixture to the crockpot.  Turn crockpot temperature to high.

Add kale, salt, and pepper.

Cook on high for 30 minutes or until soup thickens.

Makes 10 cups.

Chicken wild rice soup (Crockpot)

Ingredients:

2 cup wild rice (uncooked)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash (table blend)

3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cup milk

Spray crockpot with nonstick.  Add chicken first.
Top chicken with rice, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chicken broth, and Mrs. Dash
Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours.
Remove chicken, cool.  Leave remaining ingredients in crockpot to cook 30-minutes.

In a fry pan over medium heat, melt butter add flour and milk.  Whisk until no lumps and thickens.  Remove from heat and add to the crockpot.  Stir until well mixed.

Dice chicken and add back to the crockpot.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

**Soup will be very chunky, if you want it thinned out add more chicken broth or milk at the end.

Pumpkin bars with cream cheese pumpkin pie frosting

1 can pumpkin

2 eggs

½ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

¼ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

1 stick butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350*

In small bowl mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar until fluffy.

In a large bowl mix together flour, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add wet mixture to dry mixture and blend together.

Spray 8x8 pan with non-stick

Pour mixture into pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Make frosting by combining cream cheese, butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and powdered sugar.

Spread on top of bars.

Serve or keep refrigerated.

Creamy Potato Soup

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups milk

1 1/3 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat add butter. 

Add onion and carrots; saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.  

Sprinkle the flour on top of the onion and carrots, and stir until combined.  

Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.  

Stir in the chicken stock until combined.  

Stir in the milk and potatoes until combined.  

Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, but is not boiling.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.

Add cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper.  Stir until cheese is melted.  

Cucumber Avocado Rolls

1 Avocado

1/8 cup fresh dill

1/4 cup capers

2 teaspoons Lime Juice

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Cucumber; cut into long strips with a peeler or mandoline

Smoked or Sweet Paprika for Garnish

Instructions:

Combine avocado, dill, capers, lime juice, and salt in a bowl, mashing into a spread.

Take 1 cucumber strip and spread a thin coat of the mixture along the length of the cucumber.

Roll it up and repeat. Sprinkle with a little paprika and serve right away.

*Do not make until just before serving.  The water content of the cucumber with the salt will breakdown and your rolls will become mush.